Admiral Karen Laundry is a chore on the boat. I have it down to a pretty good science. I have two IKEA bags that have zippers and they are pretty much waterproof as they are made out of that blue tarp material. We can put them on our backs if needed to haul them if we need too. I try to go at least two weeks before washing, but then it also depends on where we are and where we are going and if there is a laundry available. The count here in the Bahamas is low too. We talked with BASRA when we were in Nassau and he said it used to be 600+ boats that used to be in Georgetown and now it is down to about 300 +-. People are aging out and I guess it is too expensive for the younger generation. I am not sure of the reason for the decline in numbers.

Susan Thanks for all the info! Sounds like typical cruising life, especially the mold part, which has always been my biggest cleaning challenge on any boat we've had. You are fortunate that you carry so much water! The boat chore that I like the least is doing laundry; it is not so much the cost as it is the waiting in line for machines and then having to haul it all back to the boat and then putting it all away. For whatever reason, the number of boaters in Maine seems to be decreasing every year; we are still surprised when we can find room at popular places on busy weekend days. I think a lot of summer cruisers are aging out. Each June when we arrive back in Rockland, we notice more For Sale signs on boats whose owners we have come to know over the years. It's a shame. But we are already thinking of the upcoming cruising season in Maine and are getting excited.

Karen -Sea Vu Play Admiral Hey Susan! My typical day includes cooking breakfast lunch and dinner, except when we have cereal for breakfast and on the occasion when Mark makes breakfast. We brought a lot of food with us. We only have bought mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and some dairy products. We bought two whole frozen chickens in Nassau because we were having problems with our refrigerator. We will use those soo. Because we are getting low on meat. We have bought some fresh lobster and fish. We do laundry about every other week ar when ever we are in a place that has laundry. It's pretty expensive. No water maker. We have 120 gallons of fresh water and four (five gallon each) Jerry jugs on the deck. We use about 20 gallons every six days so we haul water when we need it. We had to purchase it here in Long Island. The greatest cleaning challeng on Sea Vu Play and other boats I'm sure is the mold. When the water is cold and closed the boat seems to get molding. Especially in places where you can't see it so that's my biggest challenge, the hidden mold. The number of cruisers seems to be less this year due to the weather. The winds jut keep blowing constantly and I think a lot of people gave up. We know one boat that left Bimini and went back home and another that decided to stay for a month in Bimini. We talked to BASRA and he said the numbers are really low this year. The duracho that hit Georgetown made all of the cruisers scared so they all have 150-200 feet of chain out making it difficult for many boats to get into the anchorage. We left Georgetown after a day and a half. It was chaos.

Susan What is a typical day aboard for Karen? How much food did you bring with you? Do you usually prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day? How often do you do laundry? How much water does the boat carry? Do you have a water maker? What is your greatest cleaning challenge on the Sea Vu Play? How does the number of cruisers this year compare to your past visits to the Bahamas?

Leah Enjoying the blog, so detailed, felt like being there. North Carolina is cold, stay there!

Irene & John Great Blogs, guys. Bring back so many memories. But the two of you have done so much more than we did in two trips! We remember the two Great Danes that met us at W. Wells!

Dottie Giersch Sounds like you are having another wonderful adventure.

Susan Cruising in the Greater Miami area sounds exhausting, with all the bridges and working and pleasure boats doing their own thing. Not fun.

Susan One response to invasive species is better recipes! Everyone there needs to pick up a copy of The Lionfish Cookbook: The Caribbean's New Delicacy by Ferguson and Akins.

Patty Welcome back to the good ol U S of A! Enjoyed reading your journey!